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Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is a 4D motion-based steel roller coaster located inside Gringotts Bank in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Canada. Ride Summary Queue Guests first enter the lobby of Gringotts Bank where (animatronic) Goblins are hard at work. A goblin at the head of this circle speaks up to guests asking if they are here to open a Gringotts Bank Account and directs them to have their security photo taken. While passing this photo-spot, the trio can be seen through one of the windows preparing to go down into the vaults. Rider are handed a pair a "cart goggles" (3-D glasses). Pre-Show 1 The guests paths then goes through Bill Weasley's office. A goblin called Blordak, who is to conduct guests on their tour of the vaults, is looking for the keys, which Bill helps him find. Bill decides to join them in guiding guests tour. Pre-Show 2 Riders are guided to elevators going down to the cart levels and the ride's boarding area. Ride Riders board the 4-row, 4-seat cart. Upon disembarking, the carts are stopped with security having already been breached by Harry and his friends. Bellatrix Lestrange appears, believing the "Muggle-born" riders to be the ones that have trespassed in her vault. Sending a spell towards the carts, Bill's cart and the guest vehicles drop down a 30-foot tall ramp and speed into complete darkness. Riders zoom through a coaster-like train track in the darkness before coming out of dark tunnel and entering a large cave. The vehicles continue to ride on the coaster track for another minute, twisting and turning through the misty cave, going over some small drops and bumps before coming to a complete stop in front of Bill in another cart who casts a spell causing riders's vehicle to discontinue motion. Bill apologizes to riders and are then encounter by Harry, Ron and Hermione before the Thief's Downfall causes their carts to drop and the other carts are attacked by armored security trolls, who throw the carts down a 50-foot drop into another portion of the cave. The guests find the security trolls, but before the trolls can get to the riders, the cliff they are standing on cracks causing them, and the riders, to drop into the abyss. The vehicles find themselves next to the Ukranian Ironbelly's platform just as Harry and his friends have mounted it to escape. Bill appears to protect them from the dragon's fire by turning it to water and uses Wingardium Leviosa to lift the vehicles away. However, Bellatrix catches their trail again and breaks open a wall. Nagini emerges from the cloud of smoke and Bellatrix is now joined by Voldemort. He demands to know where Harry Potter has went and attacks the vehicle to interrogate riders, sending them to a lava-filled portion of the cave. The trio comes to the rescue and brings a chain down to help tow the guests up the chasm. Riders speed past through a dark tunnel, leaving them with Bill close to where they started and then flying off with the Horcrux. Bill asks if riders are all okay and quips about Gringotts being the safest place on Earth. Riders then slowly return to the boarding station and exit. Mechanics Every goblin in the queue is an animatronic. The trio's shadows in the queue appear through a window on a door, which is actually a screen. There are speakers hidden in the wall to have their voices playing out of. The first pre-show uses a Musion Eyeliner projected onto the set. Every character in the pre-show is part of the projection. The second elevator pre-show uses motion simulation and screens. Guests enter an elevator with a giant dome screen at the top, meant to look like a window. The elevator is not actually being lowered at all, but to simulate movement, the floor shakes. Each roller coaster cart has a 6-DOF motion base at the bottom which moves to the actions on the screens. Each vehicle is equipped with a Dolby 9.1 sound system. Most of the ride uses 3-D screens and sets as well as physical effects. No animatronics are used during the actual ride and 3D screens are used to show characters. Set peices blend in with the 3D screens. The first drop on the ride is 50-feet tall. The cart speeds through multiple turns and bumps before reaching the next screen. When the trolls throw riders, they are going down a 50-foot drop. Then another screen. To give the effect riders are falling down a waterfall, wind and mist is blown as well as tilting motion. When the dragon breathes fire, intense heat is used. When Bill turns the fire into water, water is sprayed from the ceiling. Riders zoom down a set to two more screens showing a goblin on one, and Bellatrix and Voldemort on the other. The to another screen.To create the lava filled cave, a cave set surround the riders completely. a 250-degree 3-D dome screen is also used. When riders seemingly pass through the screen, they are actually passing through an open hole in the screen. Smoke appears in front of the section of the screen while the hole in the screen opens. Riders zoom through the hole and pass many twists and drops in the track. Riders then return to the station. Trivia * Saftey Restraint: Lap Bar, Handrail * Time: 6 minutes * Universal Red Carpet Access and Single Rider available. * This is similar to the same ride at Universal Studios Florida, except it has longer coaster sections.